The 10 most common Frontend mistakes (and how to avoid them)

Seun08 · 2023-09-22T14:01:01Z

Table Of Contents Introduction Common Mistakes Fonts and text sizes Padding and margins Media Queries Images Web accessibility Performance Best practices Conclusion INTRODUCTION It's no secret that frontend development can be tricky. Even experienced developers make mistakes from time to time, but don't worry - making mistakes is a normal part of the learning process. This article will provide some of the most common mistakes that frontend developers make and how to avoid them. By the end, you'll be well on your way to becoming a more efficient and effective frontend developer! COMMON MISTAKES Some of the common mistakes developers make: Fonts and text sizes: One common mistake developers make is not considering the readability of the text of a page. Font and text sizes can have a big impact on how easy or difficult it is to read the content. Many developers don't take the time to test their designs on different screen sizes and resolutions. This can lead to text that is too small to read on mobile devices, or too large on desktop computers. Also, not using legible font or choosing a font size that is too small makes it difficult for users with visual impairments to read the content. Padding and margins: These are two CSS properties that have a big impact on the readability and usability of a page. Many developers don't consider the padding and margin when designing their pages, which can lead to elements that are too close together or too far apart. For instance, if a button is too close to the text next to it, users may accidentally click the button when they are trying to click the text. Also, not accounting for the padding and margin when designing for different screen sizes is another mistake. A design that looks great on a desktop computer may not look as good on a mobile device, because the text is too close to the edge of the screen. Media Queries : One common mistake with media queries is not defining the breakpoints correctly. Breakpoints are the points at which the design of the page changes, based on the width of the screen. For example, a common breakpoint is when a screen width reaches 768 pixels, which is the width of a typical tablet in landscape mode. However, some developers forget to consider the difference between a small tablet and a large tablet or even the difference between a tablet in portrait mode and landscape mode. This could lead to poor user experience. Another common mistake is using media queries to change layout of the page but not updating the content to match the new layout. For example, a developer might use media query to change the width of the main content area of a page, but forget to resize the images or change the text formatting to fit the new layout. This can result in a messy unprofessional-looking page. Images: Using images that are too large can cause the page to load slowly. It's important to resize images to the correct size before uploading them to the website. A common mistake is not optimizing images for web use. Not optimizing images can cause the page to load slowly and use a lot of bandwidth. Another mistake with images is not using alt tags . Alt tags are used to provide alternative texts for images, so users who can't see the image can still understand what the image is about. This is an important accessibility consideration. Web accessibility: A common mistake with web accessibility is not using semantic HTML. Semantic HTML is HTML that is structured in a way that makes it easy for screen readers and other assistive technologies to understand. For example, using headings and lists correctly makes it easier for screen readers to navigate the page. Another mistake is not using ARIA attributes. ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) is a way to add accessibility information to HTML elements. These attributes help screen readers understand how to interact with the elements. Performance: Another common mistake is not optimizing for mobile devices. Mobile devices often have slower internet connections and less powerful processors than desktop computers. so it's important to optimize your website for mobile devices by using responsive design, using compressed images, and avoiding large javascript files. It's very important to test your website on a variety of mobile devices to make sure it's optimized for all of them. BEST PRACTICES Some best practices to use to avoid common mistakes are : Following coding standards: Coding standards are a set of guidelines for writing code that is readable, maintainable, and consistent. This involves using proper indentation, consistently naming variables and functions, and avoiding hard-to-read codes. Using source control, such as Git, so that you can track changes to your code. Test early and often: Test your codes as you go, rather than waiting until the end to test everything. You can do this by using unit tests, integration tests and functional tests. Unit tests check that individual units of code are working together correctly. Integration tests check that different units of code are working together correctly. Functional tests check that the overall functionality of the website is working correctly. Testing early and often can help you find and fix bugs before they become a bigger problem. Using a consistent style guide: A style guide is a set of guidelines for how your website should look and feel. This includes things like color palette, fonts, and spacing. Having a consistent style guide makes your website easier to navigate and understand. It also helps to establish a brand identity for your website. Using design patterns: Design patterns are reusable solutions to common problems in website design. Using design patterns can help you create a more efficient and consistent user experience. CONCLUSION There are many common mistakes that frontend developers make, but there are also many ways to avoid these mistakes. By following best practices, such as those mentioned above, you can create a high-quality, user-friendly website. Always remember to keep learning and growing as a developer. And finally, don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. The best way to avoid mistakes is to work together with other developers and learn from each other. I hope this information was useful and helped you create better websites. And remember, practice makes perfect! Happy Coding!!

Table Of Contents

Introduction
Common Mistakes
- Fonts and text sizes
- Padding and margins
- Media Queries
- Images
- Web accessibility
- Performance
Best practices
Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

It's no secret that frontend development can be tricky. Even experienced developers make mistakes from time to time, but don't worry - making mistakes is a normal part of the learning process.

This article will provide some of the most common mistakes that frontend developers make and how to avoid them. By the end, you'll be well on your way to becoming a more efficient and effective frontend developer!

COMMON MISTAKES

Some of the common mistakes developers make:

Fonts and text sizes: One common mistake developers make is not considering the readability of the text of a page. Font and text sizes can have a big impact on how easy or difficult it is to read the content. Many developers don't take the time to test their designs on different screen sizes and resolutions. This can lead to text that is too small to read on mobile devices, or too large on desktop computers.

Also, not using legible font or choosing a font size that is too small makes it difficult for users with visual impairments to read the content.
Padding and margins: These are two CSS properties that have a big impact on the readability and usability of a page. Many developers don't consider the padding and margin when designing their pages, which can lead to elements that are too close together or too far apart. For instance, if a button is too close to the text next to it, users may accidentally click the button when they are trying to click the text.

Also, not accounting for the padding and margin when designing for different screen sizes is another mistake. A design that looks great on a desktop computer may not look as good on a mobile device, because the text is too close to the edge of the screen.
Media Queries : One common mistake with media queries is not defining the breakpoints correctly. Breakpoints are the points at which the design of the page changes, based on the width of the screen. For example, a common breakpoint is when a screen width reaches 768 pixels, which is the width of a typical tablet in landscape mode.

However, some developers forget to consider the difference between a small tablet and a large tablet or even the difference between a tablet in portrait mode and landscape mode. This could lead to poor user experience.

Another common mistake is using media queries to change layout of the page but not updating the content to match the new layout. For example, a developer might use media query to change the width of the main content area of a page, but forget to resize the images or change the text formatting to fit the new layout. This can result in a messy unprofessional-looking page.
Images: Using images that are too large can cause the page to load slowly. It's important to resize images to the correct size before uploading them to the website. A common mistake is not optimizing images for web use. Not optimizing images can cause the page to load slowly and use a lot of bandwidth.

Another mistake with images is not using alt tags . Alt tags are used to provide alternative texts for images, so users who can't see the image can still understand what the image is about. This is an important accessibility consideration.
Web accessibility: A common mistake with web accessibility is not using semantic HTML. Semantic HTML is HTML that is structured in a way that makes it easy for screen readers and other assistive technologies to understand. For example, using headings and lists correctly makes it easier for screen readers to navigate the page.

Another mistake is not using ARIA attributes. ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) is a way to add accessibility information to HTML elements. These attributes help screen readers understand how to interact with the elements.
Performance: Another common mistake is not optimizing for mobile devices. Mobile devices often have slower internet connections and less powerful processors than desktop computers. so it's important to optimize your website for mobile devices by using responsive design, using compressed images, and avoiding large javascript files. It's very important to test your website on a variety of mobile devices to make sure it's optimized for all of them.

BEST PRACTICES

Some best practices to use to avoid common mistakes are :
Following coding standards: Coding standards are a set of guidelines for writing code that is readable, maintainable, and consistent. This involves using proper indentation, consistently naming variables and functions, and avoiding hard-to-read codes.
Using source control, such as Git, so that you can track changes to your code.
Test early and often: Test your codes as you go, rather than waiting until the end to test everything. You can do this by using unit tests, integration tests and functional tests. Unit tests check that individual units of code are working together correctly. Integration tests check that different units of code are working together correctly. Functional tests check that the overall functionality of the website is working correctly.

Testing early and often can help you find and fix bugs before they become a bigger problem.
Using a consistent style guide: A style guide is a set of guidelines for how your website should look and feel. This includes things like color palette, fonts, and spacing. Having a consistent style guide makes your website easier to navigate and understand.

It also helps to establish a brand identity for your website.
Using design patterns: Design patterns are reusable solutions to common problems in website design. Using design patterns can help you create a more efficient and consistent user experience.

CONCLUSION

There are many common mistakes that frontend developers make, but there are also many ways to avoid these mistakes. By following best practices, such as those mentioned above, you can create a high-quality, user-friendly website. Always remember to keep learning and growing as a developer. And finally, don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. The best way to avoid mistakes is to work together with other developers and learn from each other.

I hope this information was useful and helped you create better websites. And remember, practice makes perfect!

Happy Coding!!

Top comments (1)

Cezary Tomczyk • Sep 22 '23

Additional resources "Best practices for software development and testing".